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My insurance company makes me order medications three months at a time through mail. I just ordered a new supply and adding my copay to what the insurance company pays my HIV meds alone cost $1691.54 a month. I don't feel guilty at all but it is a lot of money! A friend of mine who works for a pharmaceutical company said this is why they love us.

It's funny you should bring this up, I started Kaletra and Truvada just yesterday and when I saw the cost of these two drugs it was 1400.00 dollars, now I live in Canada and thank God it's covered, I felt real guilty for the drag on the system, but my partner told me not to feel guilty that we have paid into the system for some 25 years now, and to look at the money that the governmet wastes every single day. I think they put the price on the bottles to show us how lucky we are, they could at least leave the price off the bottles. I'm sure I'll get over it, but ya it does make one feel bad,

The most I have ever used my insurance is to have my teeth cleaned over the past 43 years.. Now two years into being positive I have gone the "study" route and liked the idea of socking the Pharma companies for the costs of my meds and labs. Now I think that time is coming slowly to a close.. I don't feel guilty about using my insurance, I just hate the idea of surviving on some bureaucratic bullshit that I don't believe in and certainly do not trust. At least not yet...

Sometimes I am not sure what planet you live on. Trust me, you're not socking it to Pfizer and the rest of the gang. Your insurance provider would most likely be more than happy to cancel your policy once they know you have the aids. There are fifty million people that would love to have access to health insurance, bureaucratic bullshit and all. If you don't believe in it or trust it try paying for your healthcare out of your own pocket.

The most I have ever used my insurance is to have my teeth cleaned over the past 43 years.. Now two years into being positive I have gone the "study" route and liked the idea of socking the Pharma companies for the costs of my meds and labs. Now I think that time is coming slowly to a close.. I don't feel guilty about using my insurance, I just hate the idea of surviving on some bureaucratic bullshit that I don't believe in and certainly do not trust. At least not yet...

Eric

Eric-If you're not using insurance, how are you getting your meds? Such numbers as you post in your sig are only possible using antiretrovirals:

Why am I holding out Dox?? For me, its just the last piece of rope (self sufficiency) I had before I become totally dependant on something other than myself to remain healthy...

Reading all the stories of insurance / Adap / Ryan White problems over the past two years has not been reashuring to say the least.....

Eric

Eric-I just don't get it. How is being beholden to a study (which pays for the meds) different from being beholden to an insurance company (which would also pay for the meds)? You pay for the insurance, why the reticence in availing yourself of it?

If you had a car accident, wouldn't you use the insurance to get it fixed? Your life is worth much more than any vehicle, after all.

Brent(Who is confused)

Logged

Blessed with brains, talent and gorgeous tits.

The revolutionary smart set reads The Spin Cycle at least once every day.

I know everyone seems confused as to why I choose a study over Insurance.... I was involved in a Multi-Million dollar lawsuit back in the 80s with BCBS and that probably started my frustration with the system. It took it's toll on me and my family.. The study I am on has no ties to me financially... I can leave them or they can leave me.. So far it has been a great relationship. I am sure when I move on to my insurance at the close of this year, everything will be just fine. I work for two companies with two respective insurance plans that I pay into... I have 20 years with one company and plan on working until I cant. Its just another step that I am having to make...

Well, most likely you and your employer are paying for health care coverage. Why feel guilty? It's a covenant between you and your employer. You provide your employer with productive work (helping them to make profits) and they reward/compensate you with pay and health/life benefits. I see insurance companies as middle men. They provide the support to pay for and administer healthcare benefits to employees but ultimately the employees and employers are paying for all the services provided to you by your insurance companies (via premiums).

Picture this, My Dad with one Lawyer sitting next to him and 12 lawyers sitting on the otherside representing BCBS in a hot stuffy courtroom... For two long years that went on keeping the family in limbo and financially bankruping my Dad.. The power these Inurance companies have is overwhelming... I did the books for 9 doctors practices in my 20's, I saw from that perspective that "power" and unfairness to the patient and unfairness to an honest and hard working doctor.... Now it has come full circle, now I am the patient...

I agree with Eric 100%. I don't like insurance companies. I don't trust insurance companies. They have far more money and muscle than I'll ever have so I know if I ever get in a battle with them, I will be on the losing side. So my solution is just to have nothing to do with them. Of course, I'm with Kaiser now and have been for a long time so they can't drop me. But they don't really care because I have Medicare and Ryan White covering 90% of the costs. But when I was cashing in on their services (to the tune of $500,000) they immediately uped the premiums at my work. My boss gets pissed and fires my ass. And don't say he can't because he can. People do whatever they want.

So yes, if I had a choice between going on a study for free meds or insurance, even though they would cover me, I would choose the study any day. Any possible medical shortcomings or treatment failure would be far more preferable than dealing with the grief caused by an insurance company.

IBut when I was cashing in on their services (to the tune of $500,000) they immediately uped the premiums at my work. My boss gets pissed and fires my ass. And don't say he can't because he can. People do whatever they want.

I'm convinced that this same thing happened to me 6 years ago but there was no way for me to prove it at the time. I'd been there for 8 years, and that last year I had so many doctors appointments I had no choice but to fess up to being positive. Within a year of telling them I was laid off.

Still, do I blame the insurers or my employers? Or do I blame the American public for not demanding national health care?

Whatever, I'd still not allow this to influence my HIV treatment regimen, which is the bottom line with the discussion in regards to Eric.

P.s. Dad did win that suit, but the cost for the two years was to much... He had a good lawyer.... BCBS had to pay 5 years of claims that they held all the while Dad continued to see those patients for free......